Benzzz

Hey guys,

Long time viewer, first time posting. I have a 07 s550 with 70k on it no warranty. Last Friday was driving home and all of a sudden car wouldn't accelerate. I got it towed to Alex Rodriguez Mercedes Benz in League City, TX. Just got a call from them saying that it needs a new transmission! Wow I've owned many cars and none of them have needed a new transmission! I asked my SA why or how the transmission went bad at only 70k and he tried to tell me that it could be from lack of maintenance, i told him that they have done every Service and Maintenance requirement from day one! No service has been left out. Has anyone here experienced this problem, how did u take care of it. Should i just give them the 6 grand to rebuild it? I think its really sad for a Transmission to go bad in a car like this, any advice would be greatly appreciated

Sathinas

Regular service and maintenance is not enough. MB specs on some transmissions are first fluid change at 40K miles, then no worries for the life of the transmission. Care to guess why? It's numbers game. Factory warranty is out at 50K and statistically, few people buy an ELW.

Anyone who's foolish enough to think transmission oil is good for the life of the vehicle after the first change is foolish enough to spend 6 grand for a factory transmission.


Call Southern Hot Rod.

Google it.

Talk to Eddie. Chances are he can rebuild it. He does use MB factory parts where necessary, as well as upgraded clutches if possible.

Have them rebuild your current transmission for ~1/2 the price and turn it into a relatively bullet proof transmission.

Once you get the rebuilt in, change the transmission oil every 15K miles.

MBS430

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quX5_FvOeZA

https://mbworld.org/forums/new-s-cla...-1st-gear.html

most of the people in the thread above need valve body replacement (instead of needing a whole new transmission) ... just something to check.

brownbomber

Brother, I feel your pain. My tranny went out at 50k miles and a valve body replacement wouldn't cut the mustard.

The "Transmission stuck in 1st gear" is my thread and I am 6 grand later with a refurbished transmission and a check engine light.

Go figure.

2007 was the Guinea Pig year for this $100,000 car, and we pretty much got played. At this point, I am pretty sure that I am buying a Porsche Panamera.

Where else can you go from an S550......

Em Bee Lover

Man, this stuff is scary. I have 62k on the 117125th off the line. Had dlr. run cmptr. diagnostic. Showed all's well, with the shift numerical parameters etc.. I have posted many times about how it shifts "weird".

Is the suggestion change the valve ($1500 plus) and I prevent a total crap-ola of the transmission?

Please guide me. Thanks.

brownbomber

The suggestion would be to change the tranny fluids, which is outside of the traditional service alphabet installments. (A,B,C, etc).

But just make sure that you have an extended warranty. Not every person with this car uses the forum as a sounding board. This community is a small group of owners that are web based enthusiasts. What about the countless others with this car and their problems...?

Sathinas

That would be a lot cheaper, of course. This is why I make it a point to do transmission oil changes every 15K miles and send an oil sample in for analysis.

Also, to the OP, I don't know if your guy's transmissions can be put through this test, (I can only speak of the 5 speed on my CL), but see if your dealer can do a clutch test on it.

It's actually a pretty cool test, where DAS activates each clutch individually (well, I'm sure the solenoids for the clutches) and can tell you what the engagement/disengagement times are. Based on that, the tech should be able to give you a good idea of how the clutches are wearing, or if they are all working properly. I don't know if this test works in conjunction with the valve body, though.

Worth a shot, I guess.

mjr24

I think that's ridiculous.....trannys shouldn't be going out on 4 year old 100k cars at 70k miles. This is why I'll never do anything but lease new on anything over $50-75k. Don't want to touch any cars like that out of warranty.

zelement

For those that are having problems with your transmissions, what's the built date? Early 07s im assuming? Anyone having issues in an 08?

Chucky300

Problem on mine too.

Two nights ago - in Manhattan - put the car into D - felt and heard a terrible THUMP. Turned the car off, restarted, put back into D - same deal. Stepped on the gas - wouldn't shift out of 1st gear. Drove 15 - 20mph, shifter went to 4000rpm, that was it for me.
PUlled over, called Roadside, its now at the dealership in Manhattan.

All maintenance, repairs, you name it - done here.

Thank god I have Extended Warranty.

listerone

Geeze...dead transmission at 70K? My late Dad's Oldsmobile had 95K miles on it when it was sold and it ran like a top.I surely plan to change my oil and transmission fluid very regularly and hope that I don't experience premature disasters.

spadre59c3z

Let us know if it ends up being (valve body or entire transmission). How many miles do you have on the car.

Chucky300

62,000 2007MY

Will know soon!

Em Bee Lover

Gulp. It's not model years, as much as build numbers. I have '07, which was the 117,125 built. These numbers are the last numbers of your VIN.

Anyone know the build range with known valve body isssues? Thought I saw something similar in an earlier thread.

I just turned 62000 miles. Double gulp. I don't have extended warr. Triple gulp.

Recent post asked the question whether your recent failure was valve body or the whole trans. crapped out. Do please share that.

Anyone know if a preemptive replacement of the valve body cures the larger ill?

Thanks.

egauster

Did you guys see this link?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/07-08...Q5fAccessories

Em Bee Lover

Thanks for sharing, but I have AWD. Sure's reasonably priced, with shipping included.

MBNUT1

What's really ridiculous is that people are afraid to own a Mercedes Benz, a brand once synonymous with longivity and durability, out of warranty.

famous550

My Catalytic converter just went bad. Luckily i was around the dealership when this happened. The car kept shaking and wouldn't go over 20mph.

jagata

My sister's 07 transmission went out at 25K miles, lucky for warrenty but come on 25k miles? I posted about it 2 years ago when she first got it.
Fletcher Jones happened to have a spare tranny and was back on the road a day later.

eugene22n

the tranny issues are across the entire MB line for every year since the 7G launch. Based on things I've read its not clear that even the newest VB units are without fault.

Imagine the sting that MB will take in long term reliability ratings such as JD power 5 years down the line. They are a bunch of fools if they think they will get away with trannys going out like this. They seemed to have fixed the electronics issues of the past generation and replaced them with mechanical issues.

I've just always babied my car. Changed everything often from the very start.

MBNUT1

If Mercedes can't make reliable hard parts then they should get out of the business.

egauster

My brother had this issue with his 2007 7g trans in an E350... Warranty took care of it. But it does look like the '07 model year (earlier ones) are the worst. Anyone have this issue in 08, 09 or 10??

skrontz

The situation is very unfortunate, but it is the price to pay for being an early adopter. This is one of the reasons why I will wait for a few years before getting on the whole TT/W222 train.

Em Bee Lover

I know I asked this only two days ago on this thread. But, does anyone have any sense whether changing/updating the valve body preempts or prevents the entire transmission from going to heck?

If it does, as I heard a couple numbers for valve body replacement being about $1500, it would be rather inexpensive insurance against a six or seven grand transmission replacement. Particularly if, as I, one is out of warranty and plans to keep it for a while.

If no one knows if changing the valve body will, can anyone think of how we can find out? I surely am not the only reader/owner scared to take a deep breath, as it were, due to the transmission.

Thanks.

eugene22n

Very good question. Perhaps Konigster or Eric can give some insight.

I know my car @ about 40k started to develop a noticable vibration when coming to a stop. I've never felt anything like that on any car. The downshifts themselves are smooth. I thought it was maybe my rotors or engine mounts, but I just had both done along with ATF change and its still doing it.

The only thing I suspect could cause this would be perhaps my rims being too beat up at this point? Or perhaps my Falkens which are SOOOOO noisy. Worst tires I've ever had. I'll never buy another Falken tire.